NOS Sports•today, 08:17
Two Dutch relay teams won a starting ticket for the Olympic Games in Paris on the first day of the World Relays in the Bahamas. There will be a rematch for three other teams on Sunday.
On the first day, a place in the final and a ticket for Paris were available for the first two of each series.
In the 4×400 meters mixed, top runners Femke Bol, Lieke Klaver took action with Isayah Boers and Isaya Klein Ikkink. As the final runner, Bol still had to make up a deficit, but ultimately kept strong teams from the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Bahamas well behind him.
The Dutch team won the series in 3.12.16 and can compete for the world title on Sunday evening. Only the American formation ran faster than the Dutch foursome: 3.11.52.
The Dutch quartet also struck immediately in the 4×100 meters for women. N’Ketia Seedo, Tasa Jiya, Minke Bisschops and Marije van Hunenstijn came second behind Great Britain (42.33) in 42.88.
Retakes
Not the strongest team started in the women’s 4×400 meters. The top players Bol and Klaver remained sidelined by the reigning world champion. Myrthe van der Schoot, Eveline Saalberg, Lisanne de Witte and Cathelijn Peeters finished third in 3.28.10, behind Italy and Canada.
It is not yet known whether Bol and Klaver will compete in the women’s 4×400 meters on Sunday evening (local time). If the Dutch women do not win a ticket for the games this weekend. the team may still qualify for the Games based on the world rankings.
Performance from last year counts in this ranking, when Saalberg, Klaver, Peeters and Bol became world champions in 3.20.87.
No Olympic ticket has yet been won in the 4×400 meters for men. Debutant Eugene Omalla and regulars Terrence Agard, Liemarvin Bonevacia and Ramsey Angela finished fourth: 3.03.02. The Netherlands won silver in this event at the Tokyo Games.
Xavi Mo-Ajok, Taymir Burnet, Churandy Martina and Hensley Paulina finished fifth in the men’s 4×100 m in 38.87.
